78 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [17:2— Feb., 1921 



require the services of a county agent. In 1923, the Smith-Lever 

 act will have reached its maximum appropriation, at which time it 

 will be serving about 2,650 counties, the estimated number which 

 may profitably employ county agents. When this act went into 

 effect, 930 counties had agents. The present number having 

 agents is 2,000. During the time this act has been in force the 

 nimiber of home demonstration agents has increased from 280 to 

 nearly 800. About 250 counties have also employed a boys' and 

 girls' club agent. Between July i, 191 7 and July i, 1918, the 

 number of counties with men agents increased from 1,435 to 

 2,435, and those with women agents from 537 to 1,715. The num- 

 bers represent about the high mark that would have been reached 

 had the rate of increase experienced prior to the act of 191 7 con- 

 tinued through these years. 



The county farm bureau is an institution for the development of 

 a county program of work in agriculture and home economics, and 

 for cooperating with state and Government agencies in the develop- 

 ment of profitable farm management and efficient and wholesome 

 home and community life. It is a means by which fanners and 

 their families express themselves concerning all matters pertaining 

 to the advancement of agriculture, home and community life. 



The projects carried in the extension work include dairy im- 

 provement, swine production, hog cholera control, food conserva- 

 tion, cooperative marketing, home gardens, poultry and many 

 other projects of interest to the community. 



The boys' and girls' club work includes home gardens, canning, 

 butter-making, corn-growing, calf and pig clubs, sewing, own-your- 

 own-room clubs, and nimierous other projects. 



Extension schools or short courses of three to five days are held 

 as part of the extension work, usually coinciding with the leading 

 projects carried by the Extension Division. In 19 18, there were 

 691 county short courses for rural girls, attended by 26,000 girls, 

 colored as well as white girls being reached, in the extension work, 

 South. 



Demonstrations afford a vital feature of the extension work, 

 applicable to every person in the rural communities and throughout 

 the list of projects. There are two types of demonstration. The 

 first is conducted by the person giving the information, as exemplified 

 by the county agent demonstrating seed com selection, poultry 

 culling, hog cholera control and tree spraying, and by the home 

 demonstration agent showing methods for canning and drying foods 

 and remodeling garments. The second type is conducted by the 



